Bay Curious

When listener Beth Caissie moved to San Francisco she'd heard of Ghirardelli Chocolate, but she was surprised there were so many other fabulous chocolate shops around. She wondered if the lineage stretches all the way back to the Gold Rush. It does! And because high quality chocolate was produced here, innovative chocolate makers from all over the world have put their own cultural twist on the sweet treat.Additional Reading: From Ghirardelli to Socola: Unwrapping S.F's Chocolate History Why Burlingame Smells Like Chocolate Transcript Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcastsThis story was reported by Adhiti Bandlamudi. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Christopher Beale and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Joshua Ling, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family.

California's primary is just around the corner, on March 5, 2024. This year, there's a statewide Proposition on your primary ballot, but don't worry we've got you covered. Prop 1 asks voters two big questions: Should mental health funding be used for housing? And should the state borrow money to build more housing and treatment facilities? There's tons of interesting stuff in this one.Additional Reading: Episode Transcript Did the Emptying of Mental Hospitals Contribute to Homelessness? KQED Voter Guide Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcastsThis story was reported by (insert reporter name). Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Christopher Beale and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Joshua Ling, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family.

Look closely at a map of Oakland and you'll notice an odd spot that seems to have been cut out. That's the city of Piedmont. Bay Curious listener David Levine wanted to know how and why Piedmont came to be separate. And he's curious about how that history has affected the relationship between the two places. KQED's Chris Hambrick went to find out. This episode first aired in 2019, but we still get questions about it on the regular.Additional Reading: Why Is Piedmont A Separate City From Oakland? East Bay Yesterday Podcast Sign up for the Bay Curious newsletter Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcastsThis story was reported by Katherine Monahan. This episode of Bay Curious was made by Olivia Allen-Price, Bianca Taylor, Katrina Schwartz and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Cesar Saldana, Maha Sanad and Holly Kernan.

Discover the contrasting views on squirrels as pests or lovable creatures. Learn about Angela Corral's heartwarming bond with a squirrel named Carla. Explore the different species of squirrels in the Bay Area. Unravel the mystery of black squirrels on the Stanford campus and their potential advantages.

Wander onto the parade ground of Fort Scott, and one of the first questions that comes to mind is: "What is this place?" A large grassy field is bordered by tall beige buildings with red roofs. Their windows are boarded up and the place feels deserted. It's particularly odd because Fort Scott is just steps away from epic views over the Golden Gate Bridge, a well-traveled cycling path, and one of the biggest thoroughfares running through the park. But none of that bustle seems to reach this collection of empty buildings. What's the history of this place and why isn't being put to more modern use? In this episode KQED's Bianca Taylor takes us into the history of Fort Scott.Additional reading: Web story: The Hidden History of Fort Scott in San Francisco's Presidio Read the transcript for this episode Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Bianca Taylor. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Christopher Beale and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Joshua Ling, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family.

Katherine Monahan, a seasoned KQED reporter, dives into the fascinating history of the Bay Area's water temples, structures that evoke ancient Roman architecture. She explores their cultural significance, connecting their origins to California's colonization. Topics include San Francisco's historical quest for water, the construction of the Hetch Hetchy dam, and the troubling decline of salmon in local rivers due to water diversion. Monahan's insights illuminate the complex legacy these temples represent amidst ongoing environmental challenges.

Explore the history of a peculiar piece of land on Alameda Island that is considered a sliver of San Francisco, including a court case from 1964 and the role of Luis Maria Peralta in securing the release of kidnapped priests. Discover the origins of land ownership in the East Bay area, from the land grant given to Peralta by Spain to the establishment of the town of Alameda. Learn about the expansion of Alameda Naval Air Station and the subsequent border dispute that arose when they crossed over into San Francisco territory. Delve into the legal battle over a disputed land in Alameda, California, highlighting the clash between different definitions of land borders.

For decades there was a phone service in Northern California that would read you the time and date if you dialed POP-CORN, the letters that represented 767-2676. That service went dark back in 2007, and Bay Curious listener George wants to know why. In this nostalgic episode, we take a romp through the innovative technlology that powered time-and-date services, and meet the beloved voice behind POP-CORN, Joanne Daniels.Additional Reading: Read the transcript for this episode You Used to Be Able to Call POP-CORN and Get the Time. What Happened to That? Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Reported by Christopher Beale. This episode was made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho, Christopher Beale and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Cesar Saldana, Maha Sanad, Holly Kernan, and the entire KQED Family.

During World War II, 10,000 Italian citizens living in California were forced to leave their homes as part of security measures meant to protect the West Coast from enemy invasion. Others were forced to register as enemy aliens, and were subject to property seizures, curfews and travel restrictions. On this week’s show, Pauline Bartolone investigates what West Coast Italians faced during WWII, how it was different from what Italians experience elsewhere, and why many people — including Italians – don’t know this history.Additional Reading How Bay Area Italians Were Treated as 'Enemy Aliens' During WWII Read a transcript of this episode Una Storia Segreta: When Italians Were Enemy Aliens Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Pauline Bartolone. Special thanks to Historian Stephen Fox and to James King for writing in to Bay Curious with the question. This episode of Bay Curious was made by Olivia Allen-Price, Christopher Beale and Pauline Bartolone. Additional support from Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Jenny Pritchett, Bianca Taylor, Holly Kernan and the entire KQED family.

In the 1960s and 70s, American beer drinkers didn't have many options. Large brewers were pumping out beer that was bland, tasteless and characterless. But in San Francisco, one small brewer was doing it differently. Their methods weren't new — they were making beer the old fashioned way — but their brew stood out as robust and flavorful among the sea of lackluster options. Their beer garnered a lot of attention — and helped launch a craft brewing revolution. This week on the show, producer Amanda Font explores craft beer's history in San Francisco, and visits a successful brewery who is carrying on the creative torch.Additional Reading: How San Francisco's Anchor Brewing Started the Craft Beer Craze Read a transcript of this episode Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcastsThis story was reported by Amanda Font. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Christopher Beale and Pauline Bartolone. Additional support from Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED Family.